Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving signal on basis of pulse interval encoding in wireless communication system

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal on the basis of pulse interval encoding in a wireless communication system are disclosed. The method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise steps in which a first device: configures a signal for ambient internet of things (IoT) on the basis of M number of pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol sections in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol; and transmits the signal to a second device.

Description

Method and device for transmitting and receiving signals based on pulse interval encoding in a wireless communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to a method and device for transmitting and receiving a signal based on pulse interval encoding in a wireless communication system.

[0002] The fifth generation (5G) wireless communication system, the successor to 4G LTE (long-term evolution), is a new, clean-slate mobile communication system characterized by high performance, low latency, and high availability. 5G NR (New Radio) can utilize all available spectrum resources, from low-frequency bands below 1 GHz, to intermediate-frequency bands between 1 GHz and 10 GHz, and to high-frequency (or millimeter wave) bands above 24 GHz. 6G wireless communication systems are being developed based on the underlying technologies of 5G wireless communication.

[0003] The 6G wireless communication system is being developed with the goals of (i) very high data rates per device, (ii) a very large number of connected devices, (iii) global connectivity, (iv) very low latency, (v) reduced energy consumption of battery-free Internet of Things (IoT) devices, (vi) ultra-reliable connectivity, and (vii) connected intelligence with machine learning capabilities. The vision of the 6G system can be divided into four aspects: intelligent connectivity, deep connectivity, holographic connectivity, and ubiquitous connectivity. Considering the requirements of the 6G system, such as a peak data rate of 1 Tbps per device, an end-to-end latency of 1 ms, a maximum spectrum efficiency of 100 bps / Hz, support for mobility of 1000 km / h, satellite integration, artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, extended reality (XR), and haptic communication, various technologies are being researched.

[0004] The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for transmitting and receiving a signal based on pulse interval encoding in a wireless communication system.

[0005] An additional technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for transmitting and receiving a signal based on a specific symbol unit configured based on pulse interval encoding in a wireless communication system supporting the Internet of Things (IoT).

[0006] The technical problems to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0007] A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include: configuring, by a first device, a signal for ambient Internet of Things (IoT) based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol intervals within an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol; and transmitting, by the first device, the signal to a second device. Here, a length of a first symbol interval for a first value of PIE may be equal to a length of a PIE symbol interval, and a second symbol interval for a second value of PIE may be set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval.

[0008] A method according to an additional aspect of the present disclosure may include receiving, from a first device, a signal for ambient Internet of Things (IoT) based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol intervals within an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol by a second device; and processing, by the second device, the signal. Here, a length of a first symbol interval for a first value of PIE may be equal to a length of a PIE symbol interval, and a second symbol interval for a second value of PIE may be set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a method and device for transmitting and receiving a signal based on pulse interval encoding in a wireless communication system can be provided.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, a base station and / or a terminal of a wireless communication system has a technical effect capable of performing specific IoT-based communication based on an existing frame structure in the time domain.

[0011] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the description below.

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and are part of the detailed description to aid in understanding the present disclosure, provide embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, describe the technical features of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates a flexible network topology to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a communication system to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a wireless device to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0016] FIG. 4 exemplarily illustrates a communication procedure between a first node and a second node to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a functional framework for AI operations to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0018] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of operations related to AI model training and AI model inference to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates another example of operations related to AI model training and AI model inference to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0020] FIG. 8 illustrates another example of operations related to AI model training and AI model inference to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0021] FIG. 9 illustrates an electromagnetic spectrum to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0022] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a system information transmission / reception procedure to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0023] FIG. 11 exemplarily illustrates a beam management procedure to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0024] Figure 12 illustrates an example NTN scenario to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0025] Figure 13 illustrates another example of an NTN scenario to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0026] FIG. 14 illustrates examples of sensing operations to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0027] FIG. 15 illustrates topologies that can be supported in ambient IoT communications to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0028] Figure 16 illustrates data-0 symbols and data-1 symbols for pulse interval encoding (PIE) to which some examples may be applied.

[0029] FIG. 17 shows examples of PIE symbol configuration within an OFDM symbol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 18 shows examples of PIE symbol configuration within an OFDM symbol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 19 illustrates the operation of a first device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 20 illustrates the operation of a second device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to explain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. The following detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details.

[0034] In some cases, to avoid obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure, known structures and devices may be omitted or illustrated in block diagram form focusing on the core functions of each structure and device.

[0035] In the present disclosure, when a component is said to be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, this may include not only a direct connection but also an indirect connection in which another component exists between them. Furthermore, the terms "comprises" or "has" in the present disclosure specify the presence of the mentioned features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0036] In this disclosure, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc. are used only to distinguish one component from another and are not used to limit the components, and do not limit the order or importance between the components unless specifically stated otherwise. Accordingly, within the scope of this disclosure, a first component in one embodiment may be referred to as a second component in another embodiment, and similarly, a second component in one embodiment may be referred to as a first component in another embodiment.

[0037] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0038] In this disclosure, "A or B" can mean "only A," "only B," or "both A and B." In other words, "A or B" in this disclosure can be interpreted as "A and / or B." For example, "A, B or C" in this disclosure can mean "only A," "only B," "only C," or "any combination of A, B and C."

[0039] As used herein, a slash ( / ) or a comma may mean "and / or." For example, "A / B" may mean "A and / or B." Accordingly, "A / B" may mean "only A," "only B," or "both A and B." For example, "A, B, C" may mean "A, B, or C."

[0040] In the present disclosure, “at least one of A and B” may mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” Additionally, in the present disclosure, the expressions “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of A and / or B” may be interpreted as the same as “at least one of A and B.”

[0041] Additionally, in the present disclosure, “at least one of A, B and C” can mean “only A,” “only B,” “only C,” or “any combination of A, B and C.” Additionally, “at least one of A, B or C” or “at least one of A, B and / or C” can mean “at least one of A, B and C.”

[0042] Additionally, parentheses used in the present disclosure may mean "for example." Specifically, when indicated as "control information (PDCCH)", "PDCCH" may be described as an example of "control information." In other words, "control information" in the present disclosure is not limited to "PDCCH," and "PDCCH" may be described as an example of "control information." Furthermore, even when indicated as "control information (i.e., PDCCH)", "PDCCH" may be described as an example of "control information."

[0043] In the following description, 'when, if, in case of' can be replaced with 'based on'.

[0044] Technical features individually described in one drawing in this disclosure may be implemented individually or simultaneously.

[0045] In the present disclosure, a terminal or user equipment (UE) may be a portable device and may be a first node that receives a signal from a base station / second node / IAB (integrated access backhaul) node.

[0046] In the present disclosure, a base station (BS) may be a second node / IAB node / Transmission-Reception Point (TRP).

[0047] In the present disclosure, higher layer parameters may be parameters configured, pre-configured, or pre-defined for the terminal. For example, a base station or a network may transmit higher layer parameters to the terminal. For example, the higher layer parameters may be transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling or medium access control (MAC) signaling.

[0048] In the present disclosure, "setting or defining" may be interpreted as being set to a device through predefined signaling (e.g., SIB (system information block), MAC, RRC) from a base station or network. In the present disclosure, "setting or defining" may be interpreted as being set to a device through separate signaling or being defined in advance without separate signaling.

[0049] In the present disclosure, transmitting or receiving a channel means transmitting or receiving information or a signal through the channel. For example, transmitting a control channel means transmitting control information or a signal through the control channel. Similarly, transmitting a data channel means transmitting data information or a signal through the data channel.

[0050] The technology described in the present disclosure can be used in various wireless communication systems such as CDMA (code division multiple access), FDMA (frequency division multiple access), TDMA (time division multiple access), OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access), and SC-FDMA (single carrier frequency division multiple access). CDMA can be implemented with wireless technologies such as UTRA (universal terrestrial radio access) or CDMA2000. TDMA can be implemented with wireless technologies such as GSM (global system for mobile communications) / GPRS (general packet radio service) / EDGE (enhanced data rates for GSM evolution). OFDMA can be implemented with wireless technologies such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802-20, E-UTRA (evolved UTRA), LTE (long term evolution), and 5G NR.

[0051] The technology described in the present disclosure can be implemented with 6G wireless technology and applied to various 6G systems. For example, the 6G system can have key factors such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), artificial intelligence (AI) integrated communication, tactile internet, high throughput, high network capacity, high energy efficiency, low backhaul and access network congestion, and enhanced data security.

[0052] Network structure

[0053] Figure 1 illustrates a flexible network topology to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0054] To compensate for incomplete network coverage areas, a network topology that allows for more flexible and resilient split radio access networks (RANs) may be considered. For this purpose, various nodes, such as integrated access backhaul (IAB) nodes, relays, and radio frequency (RF) repeaters, as illustrated in Figure 1, may be applied, or a non-terrestrial network (NTN) may be integrated. For example, an IAB node may correspond to a node that provides wireless backhaul. For example, a relay may refer to any intermediate point, and in the case of a sidelink relay where a terminal functions as a relay, it may collectively refer to a terminal-to-network (U2N) relay and a terminal-to-terminal (U2U) relay. For example, an RF repeater may correspond to a node that simply performs the function of signal amplification and forwarding, or in the case of a network-controlled repeater, it may not only amplify and forward signals but also adjust its transmission and reception settings based on information provided by the network. For example, NTN nodes could be satellites or aircraft that provide NTN coverage that terrestrial networks struggle to provide. Beyond these examples, various intermediate points can be introduced to improve the network topology.

[0055] Referring to Figure 1, a split RAN can support the division of a base station into a centralized unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DUs). The CU and DU can correspond to logical units. The CU can be further divided into a control plane (CP) portion and one or more user plane (UP) portions. Since a failure in the CU-CP affects not only the CU-UP but also the DUs, various intermediate points can be introduced to compensate for this.

[0056] An intermediate point may correspond to a terminal or a base station, depending on its relationship to other nodes. For example, an IAB node may include a mobile-termination (MT) portion and a unit (DU). The MT may connect the IAB node to a donor node. The unit (DU) of an IAB node may serve other terminals or connect to other IAB nodes to provide multi-hop wireless backhaul to the terminal. For example, an IAB node may correspond to a base station in its relationship to a user-side node, and to a terminal in its relationship to a network-side node.

[0057] In some examples of the present disclosure, the description of a terminal may equally apply not only to a user-side endpoint, but also to an intermediate point corresponding to a terminal in a relative relationship with a network-side endpoint. Similarly, in some examples of the present disclosure, the description of a base station may equally apply not only to a network-side endpoint, but also to an intermediate point corresponding to a base station in a relative relationship with a user-side endpoint. In most cases where there is no additional description of the operations of three or more entities, the communicating entities in the present disclosure are briefly described as terminals and / or base stations (or first nodes and / or second nodes), where the terms terminal and / or base stations (or first nodes and / or second nodes) are interpreted to include / replace any endpoint or any intermediate point in relation to other nodes.

[0058] As such, in some examples of the present disclosure, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the subjects of the operation may be referred to as terminals and / or base stations (or first nodes and / or second nodes). In addition, the terms terminal and / or base station (or first node and / or second node) may also be interpreted / replaced as in the following examples: For example, the terminal (or first node) and the base station (or second node) may respectively correspond to the first endpoint and the second endpoint; may respectively correspond to the endpoint and the intermediate point; may respectively correspond to the intermediate point and the endpoint; or may respectively correspond to the first intermediate point and the second intermediate point.

[0059] In the present disclosure, there may be zero or more intermediate points between the base station and the terminal. If an intermediate point exists, it may correspond to an IAB node / relay / RF repeater / NTN node, or a node supporting other functions. The intermediate point may be a node with a fixed location or a node with an unfixed location.

[0060] Systems applicable to this disclosure

[0061] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a communication system to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0062] The communication system (100) applied to the present disclosure includes a wireless device (110), a network device (120), and a network (130). Here, the wireless device (110) refers to a device that performs communication using a wireless access technology (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A pro, NR, 5G, 5G-A, 6G) and may be referred to as a communication / wireless / 5G / 6G device. Although not limited thereto, the wireless device (110) may include a robot (110a), a vehicle (110b-1, 110b-2), an XR (extended reality) device (110c), a hand-held device (110d), a home appliance (110e), an IoT (Internet of Things) device (110f), and an AI (artificial intelligence) device / server (110g). For example, the vehicle may include a vehicle equipped with a wireless communication function, an autonomous vehicle, a vehicle capable of performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, etc. Here, the vehicle (110b-1, 110b-2) may include an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (e.g., a drone). The XR device (110c) includes an augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) / mixed reality (MR) device, and may be implemented in the form of a head-mounted device (HMD), a head-up display (HUD) equipped in a vehicle, a television, a smartphone, a computer, a wearable device, a home appliance, digital signage, a vehicle, a robot, etc. The portable device (110d) may include a smartphone, a smart pad, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart glasses), a computer (e.g., a laptop, etc.), etc. The home appliance (110e) may include a TV, a refrigerator, a washing machine, etc. The IoT device (110f) may include a sensor, a smart meter, etc. The wireless device (110) may correspond to a terminal (or first node) or an intermediate point.The network device (120) may correspond to a base station (or a second node) or another intermediate point. For example, the network device (120) may also be implemented as a wireless device (110), and a specific wireless device (120a) may act as a network device (120) to another wireless device (110).

[0063] Wireless devices (110a to 110f) can be connected to a network (130) via a network device (120). AI technology can be applied to the wireless devices (110a to 110f), and the wireless devices (110a to 110f) can be connected to an AI server (110g) via a network (130). The network (130) can be configured using a 3G network, a 4G (e.g., LTE) network, a 5G (e.g., NR), or a 6G network. The wireless devices (110a to 110f) can communicate with each other via the network device (120) / network (130), but can also communicate directly (e.g., sidelink communication) without going through the network device (120) / network (130). For example, vehicles (110b-1, 110b-2) can communicate directly (e.g., V2V (vehicle to vehicle) / V2X (vehicle to everything) communication). Additionally, an IoT device (110f) (e.g., a sensor) can communicate directly with another IoT device (e.g., a sensor) or another wireless device (110a to 110f).

[0064] Wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c) can be established between wireless devices (110a to 110f) / network devices (120), network devices (120) / network devices (120). Here, the wireless communication / connection can be established through various wireless access technologies such as uplink / downlink communication (150a), sidelink communication (150b) (or D2D communication), and communication between network devices (150c) (e.g., relay, IAB (integrated access backhaul)). Through the wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c), the wireless device and the network device / wireless device, and the network device and the network device can transmit / receive wireless signals to each other. For example, the wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c) can transmit / receive signals through various physical channels. To this end, based on various descriptions of the present disclosure, at least some of various configuration information setting processes for transmitting / receiving wireless signals, various signal processing processes (e.g., channel encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, resource mapping / demapping, etc.), resource allocation processes, etc., may be performed.

[0065] Device applicable to the present disclosure

[0066] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a wireless device to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 3, the wireless device (200) can transmit and receive wireless signals via various wireless access technologies (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A pro, NR, 5G, 5G-A, 6G). The wireless device (200) includes at least one processor (202) and at least one memory (204), and may additionally include at least one transceiver (206) and / or at least one antenna (208).

[0068] The processor (202) controls the memory (204) and / or the transceiver (206), and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in this document. For example, the processor (202) may process information in the memory (204) to generate first information / signal, and then transmit a wireless signal including the first information / signal via the transceiver (206). In addition, the processor (202) may receive a wireless signal including second information / signal via the transceiver (206), and then store information obtained from signal processing of the second information / signal in the memory (204). The memory (204) may be connected to the processor (202) and may store various information related to the operation of the processor (202). For example, the memory (204) may store software code including instructions for performing some or all of the processes controlled by the processor (202), or for performing the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed herein. Here, the processor (202) and the memory (204) may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement wireless communication technology. The transceiver (206) may be connected to the processor (202) and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals via at least one antenna (208). The transceiver (206) may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transceiver (206) may be used interchangeably with an RF (radio frequency) unit. In the present disclosure, a wireless device may also mean a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0069] Hereinafter, the hardware elements of the wireless device (200) will be described in more detail. Although not limited thereto, at least one protocol layer may be implemented by at least one processor (202). For example, at least one processor (202) may implement at least one layer (e.g., a functional layer such as physical (PHY), media access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio resource control (RRC), and service data adaptation protocol (SDAP)). At least one processor (202) may generate at least one Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and / or at least one Service Data Unit (SDU) according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this document. At least one processor (202) may generate a message, control information, data, or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this document. At least one processor (202) can generate a signal (e.g., a baseband signal) comprising a PDU, an SDU, a message, control information, data or information according to the functions, procedures, proposals and / or methods disclosed in this document, and provide the signal to at least one transceiver (206). At least one processor (202) can receive a signal (e.g., a baseband signal) from at least one transceiver (206) and obtain the PDU, SDU, message, control information, data or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in this document.

[0070] At least one processor (202) may be referred to as a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or a microcomputer. The at least one processor (202) may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), at least one digital signal processor (DSP), at least one digital signal processing device (DSPD), at least one programmable logic device (PLD), or at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA) may be included in the at least one processor (202). The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this document may be implemented using firmware or software, and the firmware or software may be implemented to include modules, procedures, functions, etc. The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this document may be included in the at least one processor (202), or may be stored in at least one memory (204) and executed by the at least one processor (202). The descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods and / or flowcharts disclosed in this document may be implemented using firmware or software in the form of code, instructions and / or sets of instructions.

[0071] At least one memory (204) can be connected to at least one processor (202) and can store various forms of data, signals, messages, information, programs, codes, instructions and / or commands. The at least one memory (204) can be configured as a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, a hard drive, a register, a cache memory, a computer readable storage medium and / or a combination thereof. The at least one memory (204) can be located internally and / or externally to the at least one processor (202). In addition, the at least one memory (204) can be connected to the at least one processor (202) via various technologies such as a wired or wireless connection.

[0072] At least one transceiver (206) can transmit user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., mentioned in the methods and / or flowcharts of this document to at least one other device. At least one transceiver (206) can receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. mentioned in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or flowcharts disclosed in this document from at least one other device. For example, at least one transceiver (206) can be connected to at least one processor (202) and can transmit and receive wireless signals. For example, at least one processor (202) can control at least one transceiver (206) to transmit user data, control information, or wireless signals to at least one other device. Furthermore, at least one processor (202) can control at least one transceiver (206) to receive user data, control information, or wireless signals from at least one other device. Additionally, at least one transceiver (206) may be connected to at least one antenna (208), and at least one transceiver (206) may be configured to transmit and receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. mentioned in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in this document via at least one antenna (208). In this document, at least one antenna may be a plurality of physical antennas or a plurality of logical antennas (e.g., antenna ports). At least one transceiver (206) may convert the received wireless signals / channels, etc. from RF band signals to baseband signals in order to process the received user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. using at least one processor (202).At least one transceiver (206) may convert user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. processed by at least one processor (202) from a baseband signal to an RF band signal. For this purpose, at least one transceiver (206) may include an (analog) oscillator and / or filter.

[0073] The components of the wireless device described with reference to FIG. 3 may be referred to by different terms in terms of functionality. For example, the processor (202) may be referred to as a control unit, the transceiver (206) as a communication unit, and the memory (204) as a storage unit. In some cases, the communication unit may be used to mean at least a portion of the processor (202) and the transceiver (206).

[0074] The structure of the wireless device described with reference to FIG. 3 can be understood as the structure of at least a portion of various devices. For example, the structure of the wireless device illustrated in FIG. 3 can be at least a portion of various devices described with reference to FIG. 2 (e.g., a robot (110a), a vehicle (110b-1, 110b-2), an XR device (110c), a portable device (110d), a home appliance (110e), an IoT device (110f), an AI device / server (110g)). Furthermore, according to various embodiments, in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 3, the device may further include other components.

[0075] For example, the device may be a portable device such as a smartphone, a smart pad, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart glasses), or a portable computer (e.g., a laptop, etc.). In this case, the device may further include at least one of a power supply unit that supplies power and includes a wired / wireless charging circuit, a battery, etc., an interface unit that includes at least one port for connection with another device (e.g., an audio input / output port, a video input / output port), and an input / output unit for inputting and outputting image information / signals, audio information / signals, data, and / or information input from a user.

[0076] For example, the device may be a mobile device such as a mobile robot, a vehicle, a train, an aerial vehicle (AV), a ship, etc. In this case, the device may further include at least one of a driving unit including at least one of an engine, a motor, a power train, wheels, brakes, and a steering unit of the device, a power supply unit including a wired / wireless charging circuit, a battery, etc. that supplies power, a sensor unit that senses status information, environmental information, and user information of the device or its surroundings, an autonomous driving unit that performs functions such as path maintenance, speed control, and destination setting, and a position measurement unit that obtains location information of the mobile device through a global positioning system (GPS) and various sensors.

[0077] For example, the device may be an XR device such as an HMD, a head-up display (HUD) installed in a vehicle, a television, a smartphone, a computer, a wearable device, a home appliance, a digital signage, a vehicle, a robot, etc. In this case, the device may further include at least one of a power supply unit that supplies power and includes a wired / wireless charging circuit, a battery, etc., an input / output unit that obtains control information, data, etc. from the outside and outputs the generated XR object, and a sensor unit that senses status information, environmental information, and user information of the device or the surroundings of the device.

[0078] For example, the device may be a robot that can be classified into industrial, medical, household, military, etc. types depending on the purpose or field of use. In this case, the device may further include at least one of a sensor unit that senses status information, environmental information, and user information of the device or its surroundings, and a driving unit that performs various physical actions, such as moving the robot joints.

[0079] For example, the device may be an AI device such as a TV, a projector, a smartphone, a PC, a laptop, a digital broadcasting terminal, a tablet PC, a wearable device, a set-top box (STB), a radio, a washing machine, a refrigerator, digital signage, a robot, a vehicle, etc. In this case, the device may further include at least one of an input unit that acquires various types of data from the outside, an output unit that generates output related to sight, hearing, or touch, a sensor unit that senses status information, environmental information, and user information of the device or its surroundings, and a training unit that trains a model composed of an artificial neural network using learning data.

[0080] The structure of the wireless device illustrated in FIG. 3 may be understood as a part of a terminal (or first node), or as a part of an intermediate point, or as a part of a base station (or second node). If the device illustrated in FIG. 3 is a base station (or second node), the device may further include a wired transceiver for front haul and / or back haul communications. If the front haul and / or back haul communications are based on wireless communications, at least one transceiver (206) illustrated in FIG. 3 may be used for front haul and / or backhaul communications, and a wired transceiver may not be included.

[0081] Communication procedures

[0082] FIG. 4 exemplarily illustrates a communication procedure between a first node and a second node to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0083] FIG. 4 illustrates operations of a first node (110) (e.g., a terminal) and a second node (120) (e.g., a base station) transmitting and / or receiving data and operations performed prior thereto.

[0084] In step S101, the first node (110) and the second node (120) can perform synchronization. For example, the terminal (110) performs an initial cell search operation. Specifically, the terminal (110) can detect at least one synchronization signal transmitted from the base station (120) according to a predefined rule. Here, the synchronization signal can include a plurality of synchronization signals (e.g., a primary synchronization signal, a secondary synchronization signal) classified according to a structure or purpose. Through this, the terminal (110) can confirm the boundaries of the frame, subframe, slot, and / or symbol of the base station (120) and obtain information (e.g., a cell identifier) ​​about the base station (120).

[0085] In step S103, the first node (110) can obtain system information transmitted from the second node (120). For example, the system information is information related to the properties, characteristics, and / or capabilities of the base station (120) required to access the base station (120) and use the service, and can be classified according to the content (e.g., whether it is essential for access), transmission structure (e.g., the channel used, whether it is provided in an on-demand manner), etc., and can be classified into, for example, a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB). If necessary, the terminal (110) can transmit a signal requesting system information before receiving the system information. Such requesting and providing of system information may be performed after a random access procedure described below.

[0086] In step S105, the first node (110) and the second node (120) can perform a random access procedure. For example, the terminal (110) can transmit and / or receive at least one message (e.g., a random access preamble, a random access response (RAR) message, etc.) for a random access procedure based on information related to a random access channel of the base station (120) obtained through system information (e.g., channel position, channel structure, structure of a supported preamble, etc.). For example, the terminal (110) may transmit a preamble (e.g., message 1 (MSG1)) over a random access channel, receive a random access response (RAR) message (e.g., message 2 (MSG2)), transmit a message (e.g., message 3 (MSG3)) including information related to the terminal (110) (e.g., identification information) using scheduling information included in the RAR message to the base station (120), and receive a message for contention resolution and / or connection establishment (e.g., message 4 (MSG4)). As another example, MSG1 and MSG3 may be transmitted and received as one message (e.g., message A (MSG A)), or MSG2 and MSG4 may be transmitted and received as one message (e.g., message B (MSG B)).

[0087] In step S107, the first node (110) and the second node (120) can perform signaling of control information. For example, the control information can be defined in various layers, such as a layer that controls a connection (e.g., a radio resource control (RRC) layer), a layer that handles mapping between logical channels and transmission channels (e.g., a media access control (MAC) layer), and a layer that handles physical channels (e.g., a physical (PHY) layer). For example, the terminal (110) and the base station (120) can perform at least one of signaling for establishing a connection, signaling for determining settings related to communication, and signaling for indicating allocated resources.

[0088] In step S109, the first node (110) and the second node (120) can transmit and / or receive data. For example, the terminal (110) and the base station (120) can process, transmit, and / or receive data based on signaling of control information. For example, when transmitting data, the terminal (110) or the base station (120) can perform at least one of channel encoding, rate matching, scrambling, constellation mapping, layer mapping, waveform modulation, antenna mapping, and resource mapping on information bits. For example, when receiving data, the terminal (110) or the base station (120) can perform at least one of signal extraction from resources, waveform demodulation for each antenna, signal arrangement considering layer mapping, constellation demapping, descrambling, and channel decoding.

[0089] 6G system core technologies

[0090] As core implementation technologies of the 6G system, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), THz (terahertz) communication, optical wireless technology, free space optics (FSO) backhaul network, massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output) technology, blockchain, 3D networking, quantum communication, unmanned aerial vehicles, cell-free communication, wireless information and energy transfer (WIET), integration of sensing and communication, integration of access backhaul networks, holographic beamforming, big data analysis, and large intelligent surface (LIS) can be adopted.

[0091] artificial intelligence

[0092] Incorporating AI into communications can streamline and improve real-time data transmission. AI can use numerous analytics to determine how complex target tasks should be performed. AI can increase efficiency and reduce processing delays. Time-consuming tasks such as handovers, network selection, and resource scheduling can be performed instantly using AI. AI can also play a crucial role in machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-to-human, and human-to-machine communications. Furthermore, AI can facilitate rapid communication in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). AI-based communication systems can be supported by metamaterials, intelligent structures, intelligent networks, intelligent devices, intelligent cognitive radios, self-sustaining wireless networks, and machine learning.

[0093] FIG. 5 illustrates a functional framework for AI operations to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0094] Below, to explain AI (or AI / ML (machine learning)) in more detail, the terms can be defined as follows.

[0095] - Data collection: Data collected from network nodes, management entities, or terminals as a basis for AI model training, data analysis, and inference.

[0096] - AI model: A data-driven algorithm that applies AI technology to generate a set of outputs containing predictive information and / or decision parameters based on a set of inputs.

[0097] - AI / ML training: An online or offline process of training an AI model by learning features and patterns that best represent the data and obtain a trained AI / ML model for inference.

[0098] - AI / ML inference: The process of making predictions or inducing decisions based on collected data and the AI ​​model using a trained AI model.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 5, the data collection function (10) is a function that collects input data and provides processed input data to the model training function (20) and the model inference function (30).

[0100] Examples of input data may include measurements from terminals or other network entities, feedback from actors, and output from AI models.

[0101] The data collection function (10) performs data preparation based on input data and provides input data processed through the data preparation. Here, the data collection function (10) does not perform data preparation specific to each AI algorithm (e.g., data pre-processing and cleaning, formatting, and transformation), but can perform data preparation common to all AI algorithms.

[0102] After the data preparation process is performed, the data collection function (10) may provide training data (11) to the model training function (20) and may provide inference data (12) to the model inference function (30). Here, the training data (11) may correspond to data required as input for the AI ​​model training function (20), and the inference data (12) may correspond to data required as input for the AI ​​model inference function (30).

[0103] The data collection function (10) may be performed by a single entity (e.g., a terminal, a RAN node, a network node, etc.), but may also be performed by multiple entities. In this case, training data (11) and inference data (12) may be provided to the model training function (20) and model inference function (30), respectively, from multiple entities.

[0104] The model training function (20) may correspond to a function that performs AI model training, validation, and testing, which can generate model performance metrics as part of the AI ​​model testing procedure. If necessary, the model training function (20) may also be responsible for data preparation (e.g., data pre-processing and cleaning, formatting, and transformation, etc.) based on training data (11) provided by the data collection function (10).

[0105] Here, model deployment / update (13) can be used to initially deploy a trained, validated and tested AI model to the model inference function (30) or to provide an updated model to the model inference function (30).

[0106] The model inference function (30) may correspond to a function that provides AI model inference output (16) (e.g., prediction or decision). If applicable, the model inference function (30) may provide model performance feedback (14) to the model training function (20). In addition, the model inference function (30) may also be responsible for data preparation (e.g., data pre-processing and cleaning, formatting and transformation, etc.) based on inference data (12) provided by the data collection function (10), if necessary.

[0107] Here, output (16) refers to the inference output of the AI ​​model generated by the model inference function (30), and the details of the inference output may vary depending on the use case.

[0108] Model performance feedback (14) can be used to monitor the performance of the AI ​​model, if available, and this feedback may be omitted.

[0109] An actor function (40) is a function that receives an output (16) from a model inference function (30) and triggers or performs a corresponding task / action. The actor function (40) can trigger tasks / actions for other entities (e.g., one or more terminals, one or more RAN nodes, one or more network nodes, etc.) or for itself.

[0110] Feedback (15) can be used to derive training data (11), inference data (12), or to monitor the performance of the AI ​​model, its impact on the network, etc.

[0111] Meanwhile, the definitions of training / validation / test in data sets used in AI / ML can be distinguished as follows.

[0112] - Training data: refers to a data set for learning a model.

[0113] - Validation data: This refers to a dataset used to validate a model that has already completed training. Validation data can typically be used to prevent overfitting of the training data set. It can also be used to select the best model among the various models learned during the training process. Therefore, validation can be considered a type of learning.

[0114] - Test data: This refers to the data set for final evaluation. This data is unrelated to learning.

[0115] For example, the training and validation data can be divided into an 8:2 or 7:3 ratio within the entire data set. Alternatively, the training data:validation data:test data can be divided into a 6:2:2 ratio within the entire data set.

[0116] The level of cooperation can be defined as follows depending on whether the base station and the terminal have capabilities for AI / ML functions, and variations due to combination of multiple levels or separation of any one level are also possible.

[0117] Category 0a: This category corresponds to a no-collaboration framework. In this case, AI / ML algorithms are purely implementation-based and may not require any changes to the wireless interface.

[0118] Category 0b: Frameworks that involve a wireless interface modified to fit efficient implementation-based AI / ML algorithms, but without collaboration.

[0119] Category 1: This category applies to cases where inter-node support is required to improve the AI / ML algorithms of each node. For example, this applies when a terminal receives support from a base station (for training, adaptation, etc.), and vice versa. At this level, model exchange between network nodes is not required.

[0120] Category 2: This applies to cases where joint ML tasks can be performed between terminals and base stations. This level requires exchange of AI / ML model commands or network nodes.

[0121] The functions exemplified in FIG. 5 above may be implemented in a RAN node (e.g., a base station, a TRP, a CU of a base station, etc.), a network node, an OAM (operation administration maintenance) of a network operator, or a terminal.

[0122] Alternatively, two or more entities, such as a RAN, a network node, a network operator's OAM, or a terminal, may cooperate to implement the functions illustrated in FIG. 5. For example, one entity may perform some of the functions of FIG. 5, and another entity may perform the remaining functions. In this way, since some of the functions illustrated in FIG. 5 are performed by a single entity (e.g., a terminal, a RAN node, a network node, etc.), the transmission / provision of data / information between each function may be omitted. For example, if the model training function (20) and the model inference function (30) are performed by the same entity, the transmission / provision of model deployment / update (13) and model performance feedback (14) may be omitted.

[0123] Alternatively, any one of the functions illustrated in FIG. 5 may be performed collaboratively by two or more entities, including a RAN, a network node, a network operator's OAM, or a terminal. This may be referred to as a split AI operation.

[0124] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of operations related to AI model training and AI model inference to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0125] For example, the AI ​​model training function may be performed by a network node (e.g., a core network node, an OAM of a network operator, etc.), and the AI ​​model inference function may be performed by a RAN node (e.g., a base station, a TRP, a CU of a base station, etc.).

[0126] Step 1: RAN node 1 and RAN node 2 can transmit input data (e.g., training data) for AI model training to the network node. Here, RAN node 1 and RAN node 2 can also transmit data collected from the terminal (e.g., terminal measurements related to RSRP (reference signal received power), RSRQ (reference signal received quality), SINR (signal to interference-plus-noise ratio) of the serving cell and neighboring cells, terminal location, speed, etc.) to the network node.

[0127] Step 2: Network nodes can train AI models using the received training data.

[0128] Step 3: The network node may distribute / update the AI ​​model to RAN node 1 and / or RAN node 2. RAN node 1 (and / or RAN node 2) may also continue model training based on the received AI model.

[0129] For convenience of explanation, we assume that the AI ​​model is deployed / updated only to RAN node 1.

[0130] Step 4: RAN node 1 can receive input data (e.g., inference data) for AI model inference from the terminal and RAN node 2.

[0131] Step 5: RAN node 1 can perform AI model inference using the received inference data to generate output data (e.g., prediction or decision).

[0132] Step 6: If applicable, RAN node 1 may send model performance feedback to the network nodes.

[0133] Step 7: RAN node 1, RAN node 2, and the terminal (or 'RAN node 1 and the terminal', or 'RAN node 1 and RAN node 2') may perform actions based on the output data. For example, in the case of a load balancing operation, the terminal may move from RAN node 1 to RAN node 2.

[0134] Step 8: RAN node 1 and RAN node 2 can transmit feedback information to the network nodes.

[0135] FIG. 7 illustrates another example of operations related to AI model training and AI model inference to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0136] For example, both AI model training functions and AI model inference functions can be performed by RAN nodes (e.g., base stations, TRPs, CUs of base stations, etc.).

[0137] Step 1: The terminal and RAN node 2 can transmit input data (e.g., training data) for AI model training to RAN node 1.

[0138] Step 2: RAN node 1 can train an AI model using the received training data.

[0139] Step 3: RAN node 1 can receive input data (e.g., inference data) for AI model inference from the terminal and RAN node 2.

[0140] Step 4: RAN node 1 can perform AI model inference using the received inference data to generate output data (e.g., prediction or decision).

[0141] Step 5: RAN node 1, RAN node 2, and the terminal (or 'RAN node 1 and the terminal', or 'RAN node 1 and RAN node 2') may perform actions based on the output data. For example, in the case of a load balancing operation, the terminal may move from RAN node 1 to RAN node 2.

[0142] Step 6: RAN node 2 may transmit feedback information to RAN node 1.

[0143] FIG. 8 illustrates another example of operations related to AI model training and AI model inference to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0144] For example, the AI ​​model training function may be performed by a RAN node (e.g., a base station, a TRP, a CU of a base station, etc.), and the AI ​​model inference function may be performed by a terminal.

[0145] Step 1: The terminal may transmit input data (e.g., training data) for AI model training to the RAN node. Here, the RAN node may collect data (e.g., terminal measurements related to RSRP, RSRQ, SINR of the serving cell and neighboring cells, terminal location, speed, etc.) from various terminals and / or from other RAN nodes.

[0146] Step 2: RAN nodes can train AI models using the received training data.

[0147] Step 3: The RAN node can distribute / update the AI ​​model to the terminal. The terminal can also continue model training based on the received AI model.

[0148] Step 4: Input data (e.g., inference data) for AI model inference can be received from the terminal and RAN node (and / or from another terminal).

[0149] Step 5: The terminal can perform AI model inference using the received inference data to generate output data (e.g., prediction or decision).

[0150] Step 6: If applicable, the terminal may send model performance feedback to the RAN node.

[0151] Step 7: The terminal and RAN node can perform actions based on the output data.

[0152] Step 8: The terminal may transmit feedback information to the RAN node.

[0153] THz communication (terahertz communication)

[0154] Data transmission rates can be increased by increasing bandwidth. This can be achieved by utilizing sub-THz communications with wide bandwidths and applying advanced massive MIMO technology. THz waves, also known as sub-millimeter waves, typically refer to the frequency range between 0.1 THz and 10 THz, with corresponding wavelengths ranging from 0.03 mm to 3 mm. The 100 GHz to 300 GHz band (the sub-THz band) is considered a key part of the THz spectrum for cellular communications. Adding the sub-THz band to the mmWave band will increase 6G cellular capacity. Among the defined THz bands, 300 GHz to 3 THz lies in the far infrared (IR) frequency band. While part of the optical band, the 300 GHz to 3 THz band lies at the boundary of the optical band, immediately following the RF band. Therefore, this 300 GHz to 3 THz band exhibits similarities to RF.

[0155] FIG. 9 illustrates an electromagnetic spectrum to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0156] Key characteristics of THz communications include (i) the widely available bandwidth to support very high data rates, and (ii) the high path loss at high frequencies (which necessitates highly directional antennas). The narrow beamwidths generated by highly directional antennas reduce interference. The small wavelength of THz signals allows for a significantly larger number of antenna elements to be integrated into devices and base stations operating in this band. This enables the use of advanced adaptive array technologies to overcome range limitations.

[0157] Transmitting system information (e.g., MIB) in a cell in the THz frequency band can be inefficient because the beam width in high-frequency bands narrows, requiring more beam sweeps to cover the entire cell area. This method is particularly inefficient when there are only a few users within the cell.

[0158] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a system information transmission / reception procedure to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0159] The example of Fig. 10 is applicable not only to THz communication environments but also to 6G communication environments where THz communication is not applicable. Furthermore, the procedure illustrated in Fig. 10 can be combined with various embodiments of the present disclosure described below. For example, the embodiments described below can be performed based on system information acquired through the procedure illustrated in Fig. 10.

[0160] In step S1010, the second node (120) (e.g., base station) can transmit system information of cell #1 via cell #2. For example, the base station provides at least two cells, cell #1 uses a THz frequency band, and cell #2 uses a frequency band other than the THz frequency band. Here, the system information may include at least one of an SFN (system frame number), a PDCCH configuration for SIB1, cell barring, cell re-selection, and subcarrier spacing generated in a higher layer, and may include at least one of an SFN, a half frame indicator, and an SSB index (synchronization signal / PBCH (physical broadcast channel) block index) generated in a physical layer. For this purpose, as an example, cell #1 and cell #2 may have a relationship of a secondary cell and a primary cell.

[0161] At step S1030, the first node (110) (e.g., terminal) can acquire synchronization for cell #1. Synchronization can be acquired by detecting a synchronization signal. Typically, synchronization is acquired before receiving system information, but since the system information for cell #1 is received from cell #2, synchronization acquisition for cell #1 can be performed after receiving the system information. For example, the terminal can acquire synchronization based on the system information. Alternatively, synchronization acquisition can be performed before step S1010.

[0162] At step S1050, the first node (110) may transmit a signal for accessing cell #1. For example, the signal may include a random access preamble. The structure of this signal and the resources (e.g., channels) for transmitting the signal may be identified through system information. Thereafter, at step S1070, the first node (110) and the second node (120) may perform an access procedure for cell #1 and communicate.

[0163] The procedure described with reference to FIG. 10 may be performed when the first node (110) initially connects to cell #1 of the second node (120). Alternatively, a similar procedure may be performed when the first node (110) hands over to cell #1 of the second node (120). However, in the case of handover, the system information of cell #1 may be received from a cell of a base station other than cell #2 of the second node (120).

[0164] Communications in the THz band are expected to experience extremely severe path loss, and to overcome this, terminals and base stations may be required to use very sharp beams. The use of sharp beams means that terminals and base stations must perform beam control in addition to beamforming, and the number of beams used increases significantly. Consequently, it takes a very long time to align the transmit and receive beams between the base station and terminals. Furthermore, if the beam alignment between the base station and terminals is misaligned due to movement or movement of the terminals, frequent re-alignment of the beams may be required, resulting in link instability.

[0165] FIG. 11 exemplarily illustrates a beam management procedure to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0166] Although FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a procedure for searching and / or selecting beams for THz communication, this procedure is not limited to a THz environment and can also be applied to a 6G communication environment where THz communication is not applied.

[0167] Here, beam may be interpreted as other terms having equivalent technical meanings that can distinguish beams, such as 'spatial domain filter', 'spatial domain transmit filter', 'spatial domain receive filter', reference signal (RS) resource that distinguishes beams, SSB index, etc.

[0168] In step S1110, the second node (120) (e.g., base station) can set resources for beam management to the first node (110) (e.g., terminal). Here, the resources can include at least one of time-frequency resources, channels, and spatial resources (e.g., antenna ports). For example, the base station can utilize a beam search signal (BSS) that is transmitted spatially separated from an existing downlink signal / channel for beam search. Here, the BSS can be transmitted based on a dedicated port for beam search. The dedicated port can be a different port from a port for transmitting an existing downlink signal / channel (e.g., SSB, PDSCH (physical downlink shared channel), etc.). BSS is a term defined for convenience of explanation, and the technical concept according to the present embodiment is not limited to the term BSS itself. For example, a signal transmitted based on a dedicated port defined / set for beam search can be included in the technical concept according to the present embodiment.

[0169] In step S1130, the second node (120) (e.g., base station) transmits measurement signals using a plurality of transmission beams. For example, the measurement signals may include at least one of a reference signal and a synchronization signal. At this time, the measurement signals may be transmitted as many times as the number of beams that require measurement, and may also be transmitted in a multi-beam transmission method that forms a plurality of beams simultaneously to reduce sweeping time. Here, the multi-beam transmission may be performed based on at least one of a multi-panel, a sub-array, and a true time delay (TTD).

[0170] At step S1150, a first node (110) (e.g., a terminal) may transmit a feedback signal to a second node (120) (e.g., a base station). The feedback signal may indicate at least one beam selected by the terminal. The terminal may select at least one preferred beam based on the measurement signals received at step S1130.

[0171] In step S1170, the first node (110) and the second node (120) can perform communication. For example, the second node (120) can perform transmission to the first node (110) using the reception beam of the first node (110) selected in step S1150. If channel reciprocity is established, the transmission beam of the first node (110) can also be determined through steps S1130 and S1150, so that the transmission operation from the first node (110) can also be performed using a beam that has a reciprocal relationship with the beam selected in step S1150. If channel reciprocity is not established, a procedure including transmission of measurement signal(s) by the first node (110) and transmission of feedback signal(s) by the second node (120) may be performed first to determine the transmission beam of the first node (110).

[0172] non-terrestrial networks (NTN)

[0173] Figures 12 and 13 illustrate examples of NTN scenarios to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0174] NTN can represent a network or network segment that uses radio frequency (RF) resources mounted on a satellite (or unmanned aerial system (UAS) platform).

[0175] Figure 12 shows an example of a typical scenario of NTN based on transparent payload, and Figure 13 shows an example of a typical scenario of NTN based on regenerative payload.

[0176] Referring to Figure 12, a satellite (or UAS platform) can establish a service link with a terminal. The satellite (or UAS platform) can be connected to a gateway via a feeder link. The satellite can be connected to a data network via the gateway. The beam footprint can refer to the area where the signal transmitted by the satellite can be received.

[0177] Referring to Figure 13, a satellite (or UAS platform) can establish a service link with a terminal. A satellite (or UAS platform) connected to a terminal can be connected to another satellite (or UAS platform) via an inter-satellite link (ISL). The other satellite (or UAS platform) can be connected to a gateway via a feeder link. Based on the regenerated payload, the satellite can be connected to a data network through another satellite and the gateway. If an ISL does not exist between the satellite and another satellite, a feeder link between the satellite and the gateway may be required.

[0178] Figures 12 and 13 are merely examples of NTN scenarios, and NTN can be implemented based on various scenarios. For example, a satellite (or UAS platform) can implement a transparent or regenerative (e.g., with onboard processing) payload. For example, a satellite (or UAS platform) can generate multiple beams across a designated service area depending on the field of view of the satellite (or UAS platform). For example, the field of view of the satellite (or UAS platform) can vary depending on the onboard antenna diagram and the minimum elevation angle.

[0179] For example, a transparent payload may include radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification. Therefore, the waveform signal repeated by the payload may remain unchanged.

[0180] For example, a regenerative payload may include radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion and amplification, demodulation / decoding, switching and / or routing, and coding / modulation. For example, a regenerative payload may be substantially equivalent to mounting all or part of a base station function on a satellite (or UAS platform).

[0181] Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC)

[0182] Wireless sensing is a technology that uses radio frequencies to determine the instantaneous linear velocity, angle, distance (or range) of an object, and thus obtain information about the characteristics of the environment and / or objects within the environment. Because radio frequency sensing does not require a networked device to connect to the object, it can provide a service for object positioning without a device. The ability to obtain range, velocity, and angle information from radio frequency signals can enable a wide range of new capabilities, such as various object detection, object recognition (e.g., vehicles, humans, animals, UAVs), and high-precision localization, tracking, and activity recognition. Wireless sensing services can provide information to a variety of industries (e.g., drones, smart homes, V2X, factories, railways, public safety, etc.), enabling applications such as intruder detection, assisted vehicle steering and navigation, trajectory tracking, collision avoidance, traffic management, and health and traffic management. In some cases, wireless sensing can utilize non-3GPP type sensors (e.g., radar, cameras) to further support 3GPP-based sensing. For example, the operation of wireless sensing services, such as sensing operations, may depend on the transmission, reflection, and scattering of wireless sensing signals. Therefore, wireless sensing offers an opportunity to enhance existing communication systems from a communications network to a wireless communication and sensing network.

[0183] FIG. 14 illustrates examples of sensing operations to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0184] Specifically, Fig. 14(a) shows an example of a monostatic sensing operation using a sensing receiver and a sensing transmitter located in the same location. Fig. 14(b) shows an example of a bistatic sensing operation using a sensing receiver and a sensing transmitter located in separate locations. A sensing signal transmitted from a sensing transmitter is reflected / scattered by a sensing object, and the sensing receiver can receive the signal, and extract / obtain sensing data based on the received signal. A sensing result can be generated / determined through appropriate processing of the sensing data. The sensing result can be provided to a trusted third-party entity / service outside the 3GPP system through an entity / service within the 3GPP system.

[0185] Ambient IoT (ambient internet of things)

[0186] The Internet of Things (IoT) has recently attracted significant attention in the wireless communications world. By reducing the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices and installing and connecting hundreds of billions to trillions of IoT devices, it can be applied to a wide range of applications.

[0187] In this regard, the IoT technology is being developed for various use cases, scenarios, requirements, signaling, settings, etc. under the name of ambient IoT (AmIoT).

[0188] For example, active signal generation and / or backscattering may be among the communication technologies considered to achieve low-power operation of AmIoT devices. For example, backscattering could allow the device to communicate with the network by reflecting incident waves after modulating them with information to be transmitted. For example, the device could be powered by the incident RF signal or by stored energy.

[0189] AmIoT devices can be categorized into various device types, such as passive, semi-passive, and active, based on how they store energy and generate transmission signals. For example, passive devices do not have energy storage devices (e.g., capacitors) and can communicate based on backscatter communication technology. For example, semi-passive devices have energy storage devices and can communicate using backscatter communication technology with the help of energy storage devices. For example, active devices have energy storage devices and can actively generate signals using active RF components and stored energy to communicate.

[0190] In the present disclosure, the following types of IoT devices may be considered.

[0191] Device Type 1 has a maximum power consumption of approximately 1 uW and can perform uplink transmission by backscattering a carrier wave (CW) provided from an external source (e.g., a reader such as a base station / terminal or a separate node). For example, Device Type 1 may be a device without energy storage or independent signal generation.

[0192] Device Type 2 has a maximum power consumption of approximately several hundred microwatts (µW) and can perform uplink transmission by backscatter-ing a carrier wave provided from an external source (e.g., a leader such as a base station / terminal or a separate node) or by internally generating a signal. Specifically, a device type that performs signal transmission by backscatter may be referred to as device type 2a, and a device type that performs signal transmission by internally generating a signal may be referred to as device type 2b. For example, device type 2a is a device that has energy storage and no independent signal generation, in which case the use of stored energy may include amplification of a reflected signal. Also, for example, device type 2b may be a device that has energy storage and independent signal generation (e.g., a device with an active RF component for transmission).

[0193] In addition to the above-described classification methods, the type / class of an AmIoT device can be distinguished based on parameters associated with device characteristics (e.g., presence / capacity of energy storage, energy / power consumption, presence / capacity of amplification, presence / capacity of BPF (band-pass filter), supported DL / UL transmission method(s), etc.) or a combination of parameters.

[0194] In relation to AmIoT communications, various basic topologies may be considered to support AmIoT devices in indoor and outdoor scenarios. For example, basic topologies may include a direct connection topology between a base station and an AmIoT device, a topology in which the base station and an AmIoT device are connected via an intermediate node, a topology in which connections are supported by auxiliary nodes, and / or a connection topology between a terminal and an AmIoT device.

[0195] The basic topology described in this disclosure is merely an example, and the proposals of this disclosure can be extended and applied to other types of topologies.

[0196] FIG. 15 illustrates topologies that can be supported in ambient IoT communications to which some examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0197] FIG. 15 (a) illustrates a direct connection topology (e.g., topology 1) between a base station and an AmIoT device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0198] Referring to (a) of FIG. 15, an AmIoT device can communicate directly and bidirectionally with a base station. For example, communication between the base station and the AmIoT device may include AmIoT data and / or signals. For example, the AmIoT data and / or signals may be transmitted or received based on a control channel and / or a data channel (e.g., a shared channel). In this regard, the base station that performs transmission to the AmIoT device and the base station that performs reception from the AmIoT device may be different. For example, in topology 1, the base station and the AmIoT device in a micro-cell environment may perform direct communication with each other. For example, the base station may be located at a co-site with a base station equipped with existing 3GPP technology.

[0199] Figure 15 (b) shows a topology (e.g., topology 2) in which a base station and an AmIoT device are connected through an intermediate node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0200] Referring to (b) of FIG. 15, an AmIoT device can bidirectionally communicate with an intermediate node between the device and a base station. For example, the intermediate node may be an AmIoT-capable relay, an IAB node, a terminal, a repeater, etc. The intermediate node may transmit AmIoT data and / or signals between the base station and the AmIoT device. The AmIoT data and / or signals may be transmitted or received based on a control channel and / or a data channel (e.g., a shared channel). In this regard, the intermediate node that performs transmission to the AmIoT device and the intermediate node that performs reception from the AmIoT device may be different. For example, in topology 2, an intermediate node may exist between a base station and an AmIoT device in a macro-cell environment. For example, the base station may be co-sited with a base station equipped with existing 3GPP technology. For example, the intermediate node may be limited to a terminal, and the intermediate node may be located indoors.

[0201] Figure 15 (c) shows a topology (e.g., topology 3) in which connection by an auxiliary node is supported according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0202] Referring to the left topology of Fig. 15 (c), an auxiliary node may be supported for downlink reception. For example, an AmIoT device may transmit data / signals to a base station, and the AmIoT device may receive data / signals from the auxiliary node. Also, referring to the right topology of Fig. 15 (c), an auxiliary node may be supported for uplink transmission. For example, an AmIoT device may receive data / signals from a base station, and the AmIoT device may transmit data / signals to an auxiliary node. For example, the auxiliary node may be an AmIoT-capable relay, an IAB node, a terminal, a repeater, etc.

[0203] Figure 15 (d) shows a connection topology (e.g., topology 4) between a terminal and an AmIoT device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0204] Referring to (d) of FIG. 15, an AmIoT device can communicate bidirectionally with a terminal. For example, communication between a terminal and an AmIoT device may include AmIoT data and / or signals. The AmIoT data and / or signals may be transmitted or received based on a control channel and / or a data channel (e.g., a shared channel).

[0205] Additionally, AmIoT devices may require externally provided CW for backscatter transmission. For example, CW may be used to power AmIoT devices or as CW for downlink transmission, regardless of the transmission mode (e.g., backscatter transmission or internally generated transmission).

[0206] In this regard, CW waveforms can be supported in various types. For example, the CW waveform type can be a single-tone CW waveform or a more complex multi-tone CW waveform type. For example, single-tone CW can be advantageous over multi-tone CW in terms of multiplexing capacity of tags or readers and interference reduction due to its lower resource consumption. In contrast, multi-tone CW has advantages such as being able to transmit more energy when transmitting CW in DL and securing greater coverage from a single device.

[0207] Considering the advantages of these different CW waveform types, multiple CW waveform types can be supported in the AmIoT system, and the base station / IN / AN / UE can configure the CW waveform type. For example, one or more CW waveform types supported in the AmIoT communication system can be configured / defined in advance, and the base station / IN / AN / UE can select one of the one or more supported CW waveform types and transmit it to the AmIoT device. For example, the base station / IN / AN / UE can configure / instruct / indicate the selected CW waveform type to the AmIoT device in the form of a command / message transmitted as a preamble / frame-sync or payload.

[0208] In the present disclosure, for AmIoT communication, at least one of the following may be proposed: frame structure, synchronization and timing, random access, numerology, bandwidth, multiple access, waveform, modulation, channel coding, channel / signal aspects, scheduling and timing relationships, and / or required characteristics of carrier waveforms for carriers provided external to the AmIoT device (including interference handling at the AmIoT device UL receiver and the NR base station). In addition, in the present disclosure, for AmIoT communication, at least one of the following may be proposed: paging, random access, data transmission including required radio resource control aspects to comply with general range limitations, interaction with upper layers (e.g., RRC layer, non-access stratum (NAS) layer, application layer, etc.), device context management, data transmission, coexistence of AmIoT and 6G / NR / LTE, and / or RF requirements for AmIoT.

[0209] Technical terms used in this disclosure may be as follows.

[0210] - SSB: Synchronization Signal Block

[0211] - MIB: Master Information Block

[0212] - RMSI: Remaining Minimum System Information

[0213] - FR1: Frequency Range 1. Refers to the frequency range below 6 GHz (e.g., 450 MHz to 6000 MHz).

[0214] - FR2: Frequency range 2. Refers to the millimeter wave (mmWave) range above 24 GHz (e.g., 24250 MHz to 52600 MHz).

[0215] - BW: Bandwidth

[0216] - BWP: Bandwidth Part

[0217] - RNTI: Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0218] - CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check

[0219] - SIB: System Information Block

[0220] - SIB1: SIB1 for NR devices (e.g., RMSI). Broadcasts information necessary for NR terminals to access the cell.

[0221] - CORESET: Control Resource Set. Time / frequency resources for NR terminals to attempt candidate PDCCH decoding.

[0222] - CORESET#0: CORESET for Type0-PDCCH CSS set for NR devices (set in MIB)

[0223] - Type0-PDCCH CSS set: A search space set for which NR terminals monitor PDCCH candidate sets for DCI formats with CRC scrambled with SI-RNTI.

[0224] - MO: PDCCH monitoring opportunity for Type0-PDCCH CSS set

[0225] - SIB1-R: (Additional) SIB1 for NR devices with reduced capabilities. May be limited to cases where it is generated as a separate TB from SIB1 and transmitted on a separate PDSCH.

[0226] - CORESET#0-R: CORESET#0 for reduced capability NR devices

[0227] - Type0-PDCCH-R CSS set: A search space set with redcap UEs monitoring a set of PDCCH candidates for DCI formats with CRC scrambled with SI-RNTI.

[0228] - MO-R: PDCCH monitoring opportunity for Type0-PDCCH CSS set

[0229] - Cell defining SSB (CD-SSB): SSB containing RMSI scheduling information among NR SSBs

[0230] Non-cell defining SSB (non-CD-SSB): An SSB that is placed in the NR sync raster but does not contain RMSI scheduling information for the corresponding cell for measurement purposes. However, it may contain information indicating the location of the cell defining SSB.

[0231] - SCS: subcarrier spacing

[0232] - SI-RNTI: System Information-RNTI

[0233] - Camp On: “Camp On” is a terminal state in which the UE is staying in the cell and ready to initiate a potential dedicated service or receive an ongoing broadcast service.

[0234] - TB: Transport Block

[0235] - RSA (Redcap standalone): A cell that supports only Redcap devices or services.

[0236] - SIB1(-R)-PDSCH: PDSCH transmitting SIB1(-R)

[0237] - SIB1(-R)-DCI: DCI scheduling SIB1(-R)-PDSCH. DCI format 1_0 CRC scrambled by SI-RNTI.

[0238] - SIB1(-R)-PDCCH: PDCCH transmitting SIB1(-R)-DCI

[0239] - FDRA: Frequency Domain Resource Allocation

[0240] - TDRA: Time Domain Resource Allocation

[0241] - RA: Random Access

[0242] - MSGA: Preamble and payload transmission of a two-step RA type random access procedure.

[0243] - MSGB: A response to an MSGA in a two-phase random access procedure. MSGB may consist of responses to contention resolution, fallback instructions, and backoff instructions.

[0244] - RO-N: RO (RACH Occasion) for general terminal 4-step RACH and 2-step RACH (if configured)

[0245] - RO-N1, RO-N2: When a separate RO is set for the general terminal 2-stage RACH, it is divided into RO-N1 (stage 4) and RO-N2 (stage 2).

[0246] - RO-R: RO (RACH Occasion) set separately from RO-N for redcap terminal 4-stage RACH and 2-stage RACH (if set)

[0247] - RO-R1, RO-R2: When a separate RO is set for the redcap terminal 2nd stage RACH, it is divided into RO-R1 (stage 4) and RO-R2 (stage 2).

[0248] - PG-R: MsgA-preamble group for redcap terminals

[0249] - RAR: Random Access Response

[0250] - RAR Window: Time window to monitor RA responses

[0251] - FH: Frequency Hopping

[0252] - iBWP: Initial BWP

[0253] - iBWP-DL(-UL): Initial DL(UL) BWP

[0254] - iBWP-DL(-UL)-R: (separated) initial DL(UL) BWP for redcap

[0255] - CS: Cyclic shift

[0256] - NB: Narrowband

[0257] - TO: Traffic Offloading

[0258] - mMTC: Massive Machine Type Communications

[0259] - eMBB: enhanced Mobile Broadband Communication

[0260] - URLLC: Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communication

[0261] - RedCap: Reduced Capability

[0262] - eRedCap: Enhanced RedCap

[0263] - FDD: Frequency Division Duplex

[0264] - HD-FDD: Half-Duplex-FDD

[0265] - DRX: Discontinuous Reception

[0266] - RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0267] - RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0268] - MM: Mobility Management

[0269] - IWSN: Industrial Wireless Sensor Network

[0270] - LPWA: Low Power Wide Area

[0271] - RB: Resource Block

[0272] - CCE: Control Channel Element

[0273] - AL: Aggregation Level

[0274] - PRG: Physical Resource-block Group

[0275] - DFT-s-OFDM: DFT-spread OFDM

[0276] - PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel

[0277] - A-PBCH: Additional PBCH

[0278] - BD: blind detection

[0279] - EPRE: Energy Per RE

[0280] - SNR: Signal-to-Noise Ratio

[0281] - TDM: Time Division Multiplexing

[0282] - FDM: Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0283] - DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal

[0284] - TDD: Time Division Duplex

[0285] - PCI: Physical layer Cell ID

[0286] - EH: Energy Harvesting

[0287] - EH device: A device that operates based on EH. It can include all device types in AmIoT. In addition, although this disclosure primarily considers RF EH, an EH device does not necessarily have to be RF EH-based.

[0288] - ES: Energizing Signal. A signal / channel transmitted by a base station / IN / AN / UE to supply RF energy to devices operating on RF-based EH. ES can be (modulated) CW, NR / LTE DL / UL signals, etc., and dedicated signals / channels can be designed to support ES.

[0289] - ET: Energy Transfer

[0290] CW: Carrier wave. AmIoT devices supporting backscattering-based UL transmission transmit information by modulating and backscattering "externally provided" CW. AmIoT devices supporting independent signal generation-based UL transmission transmit information by modulating "internal generated" CW. Unless otherwise specified, "externally provided" CW for backscattering is assumed. CW can be used as an energizing signal (ES) for RF energy transfer.

[0291] - CWN: CW Node. A node that provides CW. It can be a base station / IN / AN / UE, and there may be a separate CWN for CW provisioning purposes.

[0292] - R: Reader / Interrogator. In the AmIoT description, readers can be gNB / eNB, intermediate node (IN) / assisting node (AN), or terminals depending on the topology. Furthermore, AmIoT is not limited to 4G / 5G communication systems, and can include base stations, intermediate / assisting nodes, and terminals of next-generation communication systems. This can also mean AmIoT leaders.

[0293] - T: Tag / AmIoT device. In this disclosure, it can be interchanged with EH device, and in the AmIoT description, it mainly refers to AmIoT device, device type 1 / 2a / 2b.

[0294] - D: AmIoT device (may have the same meaning as T mentioned above)

[0295] - R=>T: Leader-to-tag or leader-to-tag communication link. When the base station or intermediate node / auxiliary node is the leader, it may have the same meaning as DL or forward link.

[0296] - R2D: Reader (R)-to-Device (D) link (can be synonymous with R=>T or AmIoT DL. Can also be written as R=>D.)

[0297] - CW2D: CWN-to-Device (D) link (CW node-to-AmIoT device link)

[0298] - T=>R: Tag-to-reader or tag-to-reader communication link. When the base station or intermediate / auxiliary node is the leader, this may be synonymous with UL or reverse / backward link.

[0299] - D2R: Device (D)-to-Reader (R) link (can be the same meaning as T=>R or AmIoT UL. Can be written as D=>R.)

[0300] - R<=>T: Includes cases where R=>T and T=>R, or R=>T or T=>R. It may be the case that both R=>T and T=>R apply.

[0301] - R<=>D: Includes R2D and D2R, or either R2D or D2R. This may apply to both R2D and D2R. (This may have the same meaning as R<=>T.)

[0302] - RF-EH: RF energy harvesting

[0303] - PRDCH: Physical R2D Channel (may be written as PR2DCH). A physical channel for R2D communications.

[0304] - PDRCH: Physical D2R Channel (may be denoted as PD2RCH). A physical channel for D2R communication.

[0305] - BS: Base Station

[0306] - IN: Intermediate node. In topology 2 (BS <-> IN <-> AmIoT device), IN acts as the leader. Relays, IABs, terminals, repeaters, etc. can be INs.

[0307] - AN: Assisting node. It can assist DL transmission in topology 3-1 (BS -> AN -> AmIoT device -> BS), or assist UL transmission in topology 3-2 (BS -> AmIoT device -> AN -> BS). ANs can be relays, IABs, terminals, repeaters, etc.

[0308] - UE: User Equipment. For LTE, NR, or next-generation communication systems, this refers to the LTE, NR, or next-generation communication system UE / terminal, respectively. It is a general wireless communication terminal type, distinct from AmIoT devices or device types 1 / 2a / 2b. In topology 4 (UE <-> AmIoT device), the UE acts as the leader.

[0309] - Device: Unless otherwise stated, and when used alone, refers to EH devices, AmIoT devices or device types 1 / 2a / 2b indiscriminately.

[0310] - AmIoT: Ambient IoT

[0311] - F-gap: Frequency gap

[0312] - T-gap: Time gap

[0313] - TD: Time Domain

[0314] - FD: Frequency Domain

[0315] - PEI: Paging Early Indication

[0316] - LP-WUS: Low-Power Wake-Up Signal

[0317] - LP-SS: Low-Power Synchronization Signal

[0318] - RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0319] - ESRP: ES Received Power. This may refer to RSRP measured using ES. It may have the same meaning as ES-RSRP.

[0320] - PRB: Physical Resource Block

[0321] - EH circuit: A circuit that performs EH operations. An EH device can be viewed as containing an EH circuit as a component.

[0322] - PHR: Power Headroom Report

[0323] - EHR: Energy Headroom Report

[0324] - BPF: Band-Pass Filter

[0325] - SM: Subcarrier Modulation

[0326] - PIE: pulse interval encoding

[0327] AmIoT symbol composition / definition based on pulse interval encoding (PIE)

[0328] In this disclosure, a method for configuring / defining a time unit utilized in AmIoT communication based on PIE is proposed to enable coexistence of AmIoT communication and other wireless communication systems.

[0329] Here, the wireless communication system coexisting with AmIoT communication may include an NR system (e.g., 5G, 6G, etc.), an LTE system, a mother system, etc. For example, the base station and terminal described in the present disclosure may refer to the base station and terminal of the corresponding wireless communication system.

[0330] In addition, the time unit utilized in AmIoT communication may mean a time unit related to the configuration of a signal / channel for AmIoT communication (e.g., a time unit in which an AmIoT device operates), and may be interpreted as an AmIoT symbol unit, chip duration, OOK (on off keying) symbol unit, etc.

[0331] Hereinafter, for the sake of clarity of explanation, the time unit utilized in AmIoT communication will be referred to as an AmIoT symbol. In addition, the proposed method will be explained using topology 1 (e.g., see (a) of FIG. 15) and / or topology 2 (e.g., see (b) of FIG. 15) as representative examples among the basic topologies for AmIoT communication described above, but the proposed method of the present disclosure can be extended and applied to other topologies (e.g., topology 3 and / or topology 3).

[0332] AmIoT devices can communicate via carrier waves (CW) transmitted by a base station or intermediate node (IN). For example, the CW may be CW for energy harvesting and / or CW for backscattering. The proposed method of the present disclosure may be applied to either one of the two types of CW, or may be applied to both types of CW.

[0333] AmIoT devices operate as separate AmIoT symbol units, and the frame structure, numerology, waveform, modulation, etc. for the AmIoT communication system need to be newly defined. As described above, the AmIoT communication system needs to consider the frame structure, waveform, modulation, etc. in consideration of coexistence with other wireless communication systems (e.g., NR / LTE system). In consideration of this, the present disclosure proposes a method for configuring a plurality of AmIoT symbols to be included / mapped within a CP-OFDM symbol interval for coexistence with the NR / LTE system.

[0334] However, when transmitting CW in the manner described above and receiving backscattered signals at base stations / intermediate nodes (IN) / auxiliary nodes (AN) / terminals, problems may arise from interference and other influences from the reception perspective. For example, when receiving backscattered signals with an OFDM-based receiver using FFT (fast Fourier transform), AmIoT and NR signal / channel reception may be affected due to failure to satisfy orthogonality.

[0335] The intervals of the data-0 symbol (e.g., the OFF symbol) and the data-1 symbol (e.g., the ON symbol) of the OOK symbol that constitutes the AmIoT symbol may be the same or different. Here, the interval means the number of samples and may be referred to as a symbol interval, a sample interval, etc. In this regard, in the case of an RFID (radio frequency identification) system, in the PIE encoding method used for energy harvesting purposes, sufficient energy harvesting can be performed while performing data determination by differentiating the intervals of the data-0 symbol and the data-1 symbol. For example, PIE corresponds to a method that enables decoding without clock synchronization, and has the advantage of being efficient in terms of energy transfer, so it can be used in R2T (read to tag) communication (for example, in the case of UHF (ultra high frequency) passive RFID).

[0336] Figure 16 illustrates data-0 symbols and data-1 symbols for pulse interval encoding (PIE) to which some examples may be applied.

[0337] Referring to Fig. 16, the symbol interval of data-0 and the symbol interval of data-1 are set differently, and the symbol interval of data-0 can also be flexibly set / modified.

[0338] The symbol interval of data-0 may be referred to as Tari, which is a reference length, and the symbol interval of data-1 may be set based on Tari. For example, the symbol interval of data-1 may be set from a minimum of 1.5 Tari to a maximum of 2.0 Tari.

[0339] In this regard, both the symbol interval of data-0 and the symbol interval of data-1 start with a value of 1 (e.g., a value of 1 in the baseband or an ON value (OOK-ON) of the OOK symbol) and can dissipate symbol power during a pre-defined / set pulse width (PW).

[0340] As illustrated in Figure 16, by making the symbol intervals of data-0 and data-1 different, symbols transmitted and received by applying PIE can be defined. These symbols can be used for terminals performing energy harvesting and envelope detection.

[0341] Below, in order to enable coexistence of AmIoT communication and other wireless communication systems (e.g., NR / LTE systems), we propose specific methods for configuring AmIoT symbols based on different PIEs for the symbol intervals of data-0 and data-1.

[0342] In the methods described below, the PIE symbol and PIE symbol unit may mean the AmIoT symbol and AmIoT symbol unit described above.

[0343] Additionally, in the methods described below, the (backscatter) modulation of the AmIoT device may be based on ASK (amplitude shift keying) / PSK (phase shift keying) / FSK (frequency shift keying) (including OOK), which may be accompanied by subcarrier modulation. Additionally, if a separate frequency shift operation is supported, the (backscatter) modulation of the AmIoT device may include the corresponding frequency shift operation.

[0344] In addition, the AmIoT symbol configuration method described below and the operation(s) of an AmIoT device based thereon can be equally applied to a UL transmission method using an internally generated CW (e.g., an independent signal generation method) as well as a UL transmission method using an externally provided CW (e.g., a backscattering method).

[0345] Example 1

[0346] This embodiment relates to a method for configuring a PIE symbol to be transmitted (entirely) included within a CP-OFDM symbol used in another wireless communication system for AmIoT communication.

[0347] In this regard, the symbol interval of data-0 is used as the reference length, and the symbol interval of data-1 can be set / applied based on the symbol interval of data-0. In the following, for the convenience of explanation, the symbol length of data-0 is referred to as N0, and the symbol length of data-1 is referred to as N1. In this case, the symbol length N1 of data-1 can be expressed as K*N0, where K is a positive real number greater than 1. Based on the difference in symbol intervals, data-0 and data-1 can be distinguished.

[0348] Also, for convenience of explanation, CP-OFDM symbols are N CP + N U It is explained assuming that the sample consists of N CP means the number of samples within the CP interval, and N U means the number of samples used for data transmission. In other words, in a CP-OFDM symbol, N located at the beginning CP The sample interval corresponds to the sample interval for CP, and N exists after that. UA sample interval may correspond to a sample interval for data transmission. With respect to the transmission of a PIE symbol, M (wherein, M>1, m=0, ..., M-1) PIE symbol transmission units may be configured within one CP-OFDM symbol. Here, a PIE symbol may correspond to a PIE-based symbol for transmitting the aforementioned Data-0 and / or Data-1.

[0349] The mapping method of a PIE symbol transmitted entirely within a CP-OFDM symbol may be as follows.

[0350] For example, PIE symbol transmission can only always start at m=0. In addition, for the ith OFDM symbol, the PIE symbol can be mapped within the ith OFDM symbol by increasing m from m=0 in PIE symbol transmission units. In addition, for the ith OFDM symbol, if m=m' (where m'>MK) (e.g., in the case of the last (K-1) PIE symbol transmission units), the PIE symbol can be mapped at m=0 of the (i+1)th OFDM symbol if the PIE input value is 1 (e.g., data-1).

[0351] When mapping PIE symbols based on the above-described mapping method, if the PIE input value of the last m'th PIE symbol is 1 (e.g., data-1), a total of K PIE symbols (e.g., the symbol interval of data-0 is the reference PIE symbol interval, and the symbol interval of data-1 is set to K symbol intervals of data-0) are required, so cases where the CP-OFDM symbol boundary is exceeded occur.

[0352] In this case, as described above, the m'th symbol of the i-th OFDM symbol can be remapped from m=0 of the i+1th OFDM symbol. At this time, there are no symbols corresponding to the M-m'th PIE symbols at the m'th symbol position scheduled for the i-th OFDM symbol. The corresponding M-m'th PIE symbols can be reconstructed based on the methods illustrated in Fig. 17.

[0353] FIG. 17 shows examples of PIE symbol configuration within an OFDM symbol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0354] In Fig. 17, the OFDM symbol interval is composed of M PIE symbols, and the length of each PIE symbol is a reference length, which can be assumed to correspond to the symbol interval of data-0. In addition, the explanation is made by assuming that the symbol interval of data-1 is set to K times the symbol interval of data-0 (e.g., N1=K*N0). For example, the example illustrated in Fig. 17 may correspond to a case where the K value is 2.5.

[0355] The methods described in FIG. 17 can be selected, set, or directed by a base station / intermediate node (IN) / auxiliary node (AN) / terminal.

[0356] Referring to (a) of Fig. 17, a method of transmitting M-m' PIE symbols exceeding OFDM symbol boundaries by mapping them to a 0 value (e.g., a value of 0 in the baseband or an OFF value (OOK-OFF) of an OOK symbol). Since a PIE symbol starts with a 1 value (e.g., a value of 1 in the baseband or an ON value (OOK-ON) of an OOK symbol) for both Data-0 and Data-1, information indicating that PIE symbol transmission is terminated through a 0 value can be transmitted / confirmed / recognized.

[0357] Referring to (b) of Fig. 17, a method may be considered for transmitting M-m' PIE symbols exceeding OFDM symbol boundaries by mapping a 1 value (e.g., a value of 1 in the baseband or an ON value (OOK-ON) of an OOK symbol). In this method, energy harvesting (of an AmIoT device) may be performed through the 1 value.

[0358] Referring to (c) of FIG. 17, for M-m' PIE symbols exceeding OFDM symbol boundaries, a method may be considered of mapping a 0 value (e.g., a 0 value in the baseband or an OFF value (OOK-OFF) of an OOK symbol) to the first PIE symbol and transmitting the same by mapping a 1 value (e.g., a 1 value in the baseband or an ON value (OOK-ON) of an OOK symbol) to the remaining M-m'-1 PIE symbols. In the case of the method, information indicating that PIE symbol transmission is terminated can be transmitted / confirmed / recognized through a 0 value of the first symbol among the last M-m' PIE symbols, and energy harvesting (of the AmIoT device) can be performed through a 1 value of the remaining symbols.

[0359] In the method of (c) of Fig. 17, 0 and 1 values ​​are mapped for M-m' PIE symbols, and at this time, the sample interval to which the 0 value is mapped corresponds to one PIE symbol (e.g., the symbol interval of data-0, N0), and the 1 value can be mapped for the remaining samples.

[0360] In relation to the above-described methods, M PIE symbols are used for the entire sample interval constituting a CP-OFDM symbol (e.g., N CP +N U can be mapped to a sample interval (e.g., N) for data within a CP-OFDM symbol. Ucan be configured to be mapped to a sample interval). For example, the examples illustrated in FIG. 17 are configured to map M PIE symbols to the entire sample interval constituting a CP-OFDM symbol (e.g., N CP +N U It shows the case where it is mapped to a sample interval.

[0361] In addition, in the above-described methods, PIE symbols are always mapped starting from the position m=0 of the i-th OFDM symbol, and when the input value of the m'-th PIE symbol is 1 (e.g., data-1) in a situation where m'>MK, the PIE symbol can be mapped based on the position m=9 in the i+1-th OFDM symbol. In other words, based on the methods, values ​​for M-m' symbols in the i-th OFDM symbol can be processed, and data-1 (e.g., K PIE symbols) that were not transmitted in the i-th OFDM symbol can be mapped starting from m=0 in the i+1-th OFDM symbol. In this case, the next transmission, not the i+1-th OFDM symbol (even if the previous transmission ended in the middle of the NR slot), may start from the first OFDM symbol of the next slot.

[0362] Example 2

[0363] This embodiment relates to a method for configuring a PIE symbol to be transmitted by being partially included in a CP-OFDM symbol used in another wireless communication system for AmIoT communication.

[0364] In this embodiment, transmission for PIE symbols can also be performed as in the PIE symbol-based transmission method described in Embodiment 1.

[0365] In this regard, the symbol interval of data-0 is used as the reference length, and the symbol interval of data-1 can be set / applied based on the symbol interval of data-0. In the following, for the convenience of explanation, the symbol length of data-0 is referred to as N0, and the symbol length of data-1 is referred to as N1. In this case, the symbol length N1 of data-1 can be expressed as K*N0, where K is a positive real number greater than 1. Based on the difference in symbol intervals, data-0 and data-1 can be distinguished.

[0366] Also, for convenience of explanation, CP-OFDM symbols are N CP + N U It is explained assuming that the sample consists of N CP means the number of samples within the CP interval, and N U means the number of samples used for data transmission. In other words, in a CP-OFDM symbol, N located at the beginning CP The sample interval corresponds to the sample interval for CP, and N exists after that. U A sample interval may correspond to a sample interval for data transmission. With respect to the transmission of a PIE symbol, M (wherein, M>1, m=0, ..., M-1) PIE symbol transmission units may be configured within one CP-OFDM symbol. Here, a PIE symbol may correspond to a PIE-based symbol for transmitting the aforementioned Data-0 and / or Data-1.

[0367] The mapping method of a PIE symbol that is partially included and transmitted within a CP-OFDM symbol may be as follows.

[0368] FIG. 18 shows examples of PIE symbol configuration within an OFDM symbol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0369] In Fig. 18, the OFDM symbol interval is composed of M PIE symbols, and the length of each PIE symbol is a reference length, which can be assumed to correspond to the symbol interval of data-0. In addition, the explanation is made by assuming that the symbol interval of data-1 is set to K times the symbol interval of data-0 (e.g., N1=K*N0). For example, the example illustrated in Fig. 18 may correspond to a case where the K value is 2.5.

[0370] Referring to (a) of Fig. 18, a method in which non-continuous symbol mapping is applied may be considered when the number of PIE symbols is insufficient for input value 1 (e.g., data-1).

[0371] For example, PIE symbol transmission can always start only at m=0. In addition, for the ith OFDM symbol, the PIE symbol can be mapped within the ith OFDM symbol by increasing m from m=0 in PIE symbol transmission units.

[0372] Also, for the ith OFDM symbol, if m=m' (where m'>MK) (e.g., in the case of the last (K-1) PIE symbol transmission units), if the PIE input value is 1 (e.g., data-1), the first M-m' PIE symbol transmission units among the K PIE symbols may be mapped to the last M-m' PIE symbol transmission unit(s) of the ith OFDM symbol. At this time, the remaining K+m'-M PIE symbol transmission unit(s) may not be transmitted. In other words, the remaining K+m'-M PIE symbol transmission unit(s) may be dropped or punctured (e.g., "OFF" as expressed in (a) of FIG. 18).

[0373] In this regard, the length of the negative phase (e.g., -phase) in N1 among N1 samples for the corresponding input value 1 (e.g., data-1) (e.g., N1 -) may result in all negative phase samples being dropped or punctured. In this case, the PIE symbol of transmitted data-1 is N1 - The reliability may be very low because there are no corresponding samples. In this case, the reliability may vary depending on the length difference between data-1 and data-0.

[0374] To improve this problem, a method such as the following example can be considered to determine whether the PIE symbol is data-0 or data-1. For example, if the M-m' value is greater than or equal to a specific value, the PIE symbol can be determined to correspond to data-1. The specific value is (N0 + +N1 + ) / 2 or (N0+N1) / 2. Here, N0 and N1 represent symbol intervals (e.g., sample units) of data-0 and data-1, respectively, and N0 + and N1 + represents the length of the positive phase (e.g., +phase) in N0 and N1, respectively.

[0375] Referring to (b) of Fig. 18, a method in which continuous symbol mapping is applied may be considered when the number of PIE symbols is insufficient for input value 1 (e.g., data-1).

[0376] For example, PIE symbol transmission may always start only at m=0, or, although not shown in (b) of Fig. 18, it may also start based on the position of an arbitrary value m0 (where m0 belongs to {0, 1, ..., M-1}). Furthermore, for the i-th OFDM symbol, the PIE symbol may be mapped within the i-th OFDM symbol by increasing m from m=m0 in units of PIE symbol transmission.

[0377] Also, for the i-th OFDM symbol, if m=m' (where m'>MK) (e.g., in the case of the last (K-1) PIE symbol transmission units), if the PIE input value is 1 (e.g., data-1), the first M-m' PIE symbol transmission units among the K PIE symbols can be mapped to the last M-m' PIE symbol transmission unit(s) of the i-th OFDM symbol. Subsequently, the remaining K+m'-M PIE symbol transmission unit(s) from position m=0 of the i+1-th OFDM symbol can be mapped and transmitted. In other words, the remaining K+m'-M PIE symbols that were not mapped in the previous OFDM symbol can be mapped consecutively in the next OFDM symbol.

[0378] Example 3

[0379] This embodiment relates to a method for constructing a PIE symbol that is aligned with a CP-OFDM symbol.

[0380] The aforementioned embodiments 1 and 2 propose a method of configuring a PIE symbol transmitted by fully or partially including M (where M is an integer greater than 1) PIE symbols (e.g., AmIoT symbols) in one CP-OFDM symbol. In contrast, the present embodiment proposes a method of mapping one PIE symbol (e.g., M=1) to one CP-OFDM symbol.

[0381] For convenience of explanation, the CP-OFDM symbol is N CP + N U It is explained assuming that the sample consists of N CP means the number of samples within the CP interval, and N U means the number of samples used for data transmission. In other words, in a CP-OFDM symbol, N located at the beginning CP The sample interval corresponds to the sample interval for CP, and N exists after that. UThe sample interval may correspond to a sample interval for data transmission.

[0382] To construct a PIE symbol by aligning it with the CP-OFDM symbol, the first N of the CP-OFDM symbol CP N excluding sample interval U A method of transmitting a PIE symbol as a transmission unit for a sample interval may be considered. In this regard, a PIE symbol corresponding to data-0 may be configured as a PIE symbol transmission unit (e.g., a CP-OFDM symbol unit). In addition, K PIE symbols corresponding to data-1 (where K is a real number greater than 1) may be mapped to a total of K CP-OFDM symbols to configure a transmission unit.

[0383] In the proposed method of this embodiment, the symbol interval of data-0 (e.g., N0) is N U It consists of the number of samples, and the symbol interval of data-1 (e.g. N1) is K*N U It can be composed of the number of samples. When configuring a PIE symbol in this way, N within a CP-OFDM symbol CP Samples in a sample interval can be constructed based on one or more of the following methods:

[0384] (Method 3-1) The ON value of the +phase or OOK symbol can always be mapped.

[0385] (Method 3-2) The OFF value of the -phase or OOK symbol can always be mapped.

[0386] (Method 3-3) If the CP-OFDM symbol includes a PIE symbol indicating data-0, the OFF value of the OOK symbol can be mapped, and if the CP-OFDM symbol includes a PIE symbol indicating data-1, the ON value of the OOK symbol can be mapped.

[0387] (Method 3-4) The OFF value of the OOK symbol can be mapped only when the CP-OFDM symbol includes a PIE symbol indicating data-0 and is the first OFDM symbol among K OFDM symbols transmitting a PIE symbol indicating data-1. In this case, the ON value of the OOK symbol can be mapped for the CP-OFDM symbol(s) transmitting the remaining K-1 PIE symbols indicating data-1.

[0388] (Method 3-5) To maintain the CP form, N of the same CP-OFDM symbol U The same phase as the last NCP sample of the sample interval may be mapped. For example, -phase may be mapped to the Kth OFDM symbol among K OFDM symbols transmitting a PIE symbol indicating data-0 or transmitting a PIE symbol indicating data-1, and +phase may be mapped to the OFDM symbols transmitting other PIE symbols indicating data-1.

[0389] Method 3-1 can be used for the purpose of energy transfer from a base station / intermediate node (IN) / auxiliary node (AN) / terminal to an AmIoT device. In addition, Method 3-2 can be used for the purpose of energy saving in a base station / intermediate node (IN) / auxiliary node (AN) / terminal. In addition, Methods 3-3 and 3-4 can be used for the purpose of facilitating detection by increasing the envelope size difference between Data-0 and Data-1. In addition, Method 3-5 can be based on the existing method of a CP-OFDM system.

[0390] With respect to the symbol configuration methods proposed in the above-described embodiments (e.g., embodiments 1 to 3), for alignment with the OFDM symbol length in other wireless communication systems (e.g., NR systems), data-0 and / or data-1 of the PIE symbol may be set semi-statically and / or dynamically, or may be set / defined in advance. Alternatively, data-0 and / or data-1 of the corresponding PIE symbol may be determined per SCS (e.g., SCS of an NR system) or based on a specific SCS.

[0391] In this regard, the PIE symbol interval can be determined based on the aforementioned M and K values. The parameters may be defined as fixed values ​​in advance, or may be values ​​selected / set / indicated by the base station / intermediate node (IN) / auxiliary node (AN) / terminal. For example, the M and K values ​​may be set / indicated in the form of a command / message in the payload interval. As another example, the M and K values ​​may be set / indicated as a preamble / frame-sync. This may be based on a preamble pattern and / or a sequence selection method.

[0392] Additionally, the base station / intermediate node (IN) / auxiliary node (AN) / terminal can select / decide a specific method among the proposed methods described above, and can set / instruct the method / information for this to the AmIoT device based on the setting / instruction method described above.

[0393] Additionally, in a method based on preamble / frame synchronization, for the payload portion (immediately after the preamble) that transmits the preamble / frame synchronization and / or the aforementioned command / message, a pre-set / defined fixed method and / or fixed M and K values ​​may be applied. Here, the fixed method may be one of the aforementioned proposed methods, or may be a separate method.

[0394] FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate the operation of a device in relation to a method of performing signal transmission and reception by configuring an AmIoT symbol based on a PIE according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above.

[0395] In FIGS. 19 and 20, the first device and / or the second device may correspond to any one of a base station, an intermediate node (IN), an auxiliary node (AN), a terminal, and an AmIoT device, respectively, based on various topologies in AmIoT communication. For example, the first device may correspond to a base station, an intermediate node (IN), an auxiliary node (AN), or a terminal, and the second device may correspond to an AmIoT device.

[0396] FIG. 19 illustrates the operation of a first device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0397] Referring to FIG. 19, the first device can configure a signal for a specific type of IoT based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol intervals within an OFDM symbol (e.g., a CP_OFDM symbol) (S1910).

[0398] For example, a signal for a specific type of IoT may correspond to a signal for AmIoT communication described above in the present disclosure.

[0399] Here, the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE (e.g., data-0) is equal to the length of the PIE symbol interval, and the second symbol interval for the second value of PIE (e.g., data-1) can be set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval. For example, the second symbol interval can be set / defined by multiplying the first symbol interval by a specific value (e.g., a value greater than 1).

[0400] In this regard, if the second symbol interval set to be located based on a specific PIE symbol among the M PIE symbols overlaps with the boundary of the OFDM symbol, the value of the specific PIE symbol to the Mth PIE symbol can be set based on a pre-defined rule.

[0401] For example, a second symbol interval that completely overlaps the boundary of an OFDM symbol can be mapped based on the first PIE symbol of the next OFDM symbol of that OFDM symbol.

[0402] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, for a specific PIE symbol to an M-th PIE symbol, at least one of a 0 value in the baseband or a value for OFF of an on off keying (OOK) symbol may be mapped (e.g., see (a) of FIG. 17).

[0403] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, for a specific PIE symbol to an M-th PIE symbol, at least one of a 1 value in the baseband or a value for ON of an OOK symbol may be mapped (e.g., see (b) of FIG. 17).

[0404] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, for a specific PIE symbol to the Mth PIE symbol, at least one of a 0 value in the baseband or a value for an off OOK symbol may be mapped for the specific PIE symbol, and at least one of a 1 value in the baseband or a value for an on OOK symbol may be mapped for the remaining PIE symbol(s) (e.g., see (c) of FIG. 17).

[0405] For another example, for a second symbol interval that partially overlaps with the boundary of an OFDM symbol, the values ​​of the sample(s) in the second symbol interval that exceed the boundary of the OFDM symbol may be dropped or punctured. In this regard, whether the second symbol interval that overlaps with the boundary of an OFDM symbol indicates a second value of the PIE may be based on whether the number of symbols of a specific PIE symbol to an M-th PIE symbol is greater than or equal to a specific value. For example, the specific value may be a value obtained by dividing the sum of the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of the PIE and the length of the second symbol interval for the second value of the PIE by 2, or a value obtained by dividing the sum of the length of the positive phase within the first symbol interval for the first value of the PIE and the length of the negative phase within the first symbol interval for the first value of the PIE by 2.

[0406] As another example, for a second symbol interval that partially overlaps with the boundary of an OFDM symbol, the values ​​of the sample(s) exceeding the boundary of the OFDM symbol among the samples of the second symbol interval may be mapped consecutively to the next OFDM symbol.

[0407] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, if an OFDM symbol includes a first sample interval for a cyclic prefix and a second sample interval for data, the corresponding M PIE symbol intervals may be configured to be mapped to the first sample interval and the second sample interval. Alternatively, if an OFDM symbol includes a first sample interval for a cyclic prefix and a second sample interval for data, the corresponding M PIE symbol intervals may be configured to be mapped only to the second sample interval.

[0408] The first device can transmit a signal configured based on the aforementioned method to the second device (S1920).

[0409] The method described in the example of FIG. 19 can be performed by the wireless device (200) of FIG. 3. That is, the first device of FIG. 19 can be implemented as the wireless device (200). For example, one or more processors (202) of the wireless device (200) of FIG. 3 can be configured to configure a signal for a specific type of IoT based on a structure of M PIE symbols within an OFDM symbol, and transmit the signal through one or more transceivers (206).

[0410] Furthermore, one or more memories (204) of the wireless device (200) may store instructions for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 19 or the examples described above when executed by one or more processors (202).

[0411] FIG. 20 illustrates the operation of a second device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0412] Referring to FIG. 20, the second device can receive a signal for a specific type of IoT based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol intervals within an OFDM symbol (e.g., a CP_OFDM symbol) (S2010).

[0413] For example, the signal may be a signal for AmIoT communication, and the OFDM symbol may be an OFDM symbol used in another wireless communication system that can coexist with AmIoT communication.

[0414] The second device can process the received signal (S1920).

[0415] For example, processing of the signal may include obtaining data / information through decoding, applying backscatter to the signal, etc.

[0416] Here, the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE (e.g., data-0) is equal to the length of the PIE symbol interval, and the second symbol interval for the second value of PIE (e.g., data-1) can be set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval. For example, the second symbol interval can be set / defined by multiplying the first symbol interval by a specific value (e.g., a value greater than 1).

[0417] In this regard, if the second symbol interval set to be located based on a specific PIE symbol among the M PIE symbols overlaps with the boundary of the OFDM symbol, the value of the specific PIE symbol to the Mth PIE symbol can be set based on a pre-defined rule.

[0418] The specific characteristics of the M PIE symbol intervals, the specific value setting / mapping for the PIE symbols, and the case where the symbol interval for the second value of the PIE (e.g., data-1) overlaps with the boundary of the OFDM symbol are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 19, so redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0419] The method described in the example of FIG. 20 can be performed by the wireless device (200) of FIG. 3. That is, the second device of FIG. 20 can be implemented as the wireless device (200). For example, one or more processors (202) of the wireless device (200) of FIG. 3 can be configured to receive a signal for a specific type of IoT based on a structure of M PIE symbols within an OFDM symbol through one or more transceivers (206), and process the signal.

[0420] Furthermore, one or more memories (204) of the wireless device (200) may store instructions for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 20 or the examples described above when executed by one or more processors (202).

[0421] This disclosure proposes a method for configuring symbols for AmIoT communications to match the OFDM symbols of other coexisting wireless communication systems (e.g., NR / LTE systems). The proposed method of this disclosure can be extended and applied not only to OFDM symbols but also to specific periods of time (e.g., slots, frames, etc.) used in the wireless communication systems.

[0422] The embodiments described above are combinations of components and features of the present disclosure in a predetermined form. Each component or feature should be considered optional unless explicitly stated otherwise. Each component or feature may be implemented without being combined with other components or features. Furthermore, it is also possible to form embodiments of the present disclosure by combining some components and / or features. The order of operations described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be changed. Some components or features of one embodiment may be included in another embodiment or may be replaced with corresponding components or features of another embodiment. It is self-evident that claims that do not have an explicit citation relationship in the patent claims may be combined to form embodiments or incorporated as new claims through post-application amendments.

[0423] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect, but rather as illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the scope of equivalents of the present disclosure are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0424] The scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable instructions (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) that cause operations according to the methods of various embodiments to be executed on a device or a computer, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having such software or instructions stored thereon and executable on the device or computer. Instructions that can be used to program a processing system to perform the features described in the present disclosure can be stored on / in a storage medium or a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product including such a storage medium can be used to implement the features described in the present disclosure. The storage medium can include, but is not limited to, high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid state memory devices, and can include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. The memory optionally includes one or more storage devices remotely located from the processor(s). The memory or, alternatively, the non-volatile memory device(s) within the memory comprise a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The features described in this disclosure may be incorporated into software and / or firmware stored on any of the machine-readable media, which may control the hardware of the processing system and allow the processing system to interact with other mechanisms that utilize results according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Such software or firmware may include, but is not limited to, application code, device drivers, operating systems, and execution environments / containers.

[0425] Here, the wireless communication technology implemented in the device of the present disclosure may include not only LTE, NR, and 6G, but also Narrowband Internet of Things for low-power communication. For example, NB-IoT technology may be an example of LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) technology and may be implemented with standards such as LTE Cat NB1 and / or LTE Cat NB2, and is not limited to the above-described names. Additionally or alternatively, the wireless communication technology implemented in the device of the present disclosure may perform communication based on LTE-M technology. For example, LTE-M technology may be an example of LPWAN technology and may be called by various names such as eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication). For example, LTE-M technology can be implemented by at least one of various standards such as 1) LTE CAT 0, 2) LTE Cat M1, 3) LTE Cat M2, 4) LTE non-BL (non-Bandwidth Limited), 5) LTE-MTC, 6) LTE Machine Type Communication, and / or 7) LTE M, and is not limited to the above-described names. Additionally or alternatively, the wireless communication technology implemented in the device (100, 200) of the present disclosure can include at least one of ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) considering low-power communication, and is not limited to the above-described names. For example, ZigBee technology can create personal area networks (PAN) related to small / low-power digital communication based on various standards such as IEEE 802.15.4, and can be called by various names.

[0426] The method proposed in this disclosure is explained with a focus on examples applied to 3GPP LTE / LTE-A, 5G, and 6G systems, but can be applied to various wireless communication systems in addition to 3GPP LTE / LTE-A, 5G, and 6G systems.

Claims

1. A step of configuring a signal for ambient IoT (Internet of Things) based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol sections within an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol by a first device; and A step of transmitting the signal to the second device by the first device, A method wherein the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE is equal to the length of the PIE symbol interval, and the second symbol interval for the second value of PIE is set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval.

2. In paragraph 1, A method in which the value of the specific PIE symbol to the Mth PIE symbol is set based on a pre-defined rule, based on the fact that the second symbol interval set to be located based on a specific PIE symbol among the M PIE symbols overlaps with the boundary of the OFDM symbol.

3. In paragraph 2, A method in which a second symbol interval overlapping with the boundary of the OFDM symbol is mapped based on the first PIE symbol of the next OFDM symbol of the OFDM symbol.

4. In paragraph 2, A method in which, for the specific PIE symbol to the Mth PIE symbol, at least one of a 0 value in the baseband or a value for OFF of an OOK (on off keying) symbol is mapped.

5. In paragraph 2, A method in which, for the specific PIE symbol to the Mth PIE symbol, at least one of a 1 value in the baseband or a value for ON of an OOK symbol is mapped.

6. In paragraph 2, For the above specific PIE symbol to the Mth PIE symbol, At least one of a 0 value in the baseband or an off value of the OOK symbol is mapped to the above specific PIE symbol, A method in which at least one of a 1 value in the baseband or an on value of an OOK symbol is mapped to the remaining PIE symbols.

7. In paragraph 2, A method in which a value of a section exceeding the boundary of the OFDM symbol in a second symbol section overlapping with the boundary of the OFDM symbol is dropped or punctured.

8. In paragraph 2, A method in which whether a second symbol interval overlapping with a boundary of the OFDM symbol indicates a second value of PIE is based on whether the number of symbols of the specific PIE symbol or the Mth PIE symbol is greater than or equal to a specific value.

9. In paragraph 8, The above specific values ​​are, The sum of the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE and the length of the second symbol interval for the second value of PIE divided by 2, or A method, wherein the sum of the length of the positive phase within the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE and the length of the negative phase within the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE is divided by 2.

10. In paragraph 2, A method in which a value of a section exceeding the boundary of the OFDM symbol in a second symbol section overlapping with the boundary of the OFDM symbol is continuously mapped to the next OFDM symbol of the OFDM symbol.

11. In paragraph 1, A method wherein the first value corresponds to the data-0 value of PIE, and the second value corresponds to the data-1 value of PIE.

12. In paragraph 1, Based on the above OFDM symbol including a first sample interval for a cyclic prefix and a second sample interval for data, A method wherein the M PIE symbol intervals are mapped to the first sample interval and the second sample interval.

13. In paragraph 1, Based on the above OFDM symbol including a first sample interval for a cyclic prefix and a second sample interval for data, A method in which the above M PIE symbol intervals are mapped to the second sample interval.

14. In paragraph 1, The above first device corresponds to a base station, an intermediate node, an assistant node, or a terminal, The above second device corresponds to an ambient IoT device.

15. One or more transceivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: A signal for ambient IoT (Internet of Things) is configured based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol sections within an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol; Set to transmit the above signal, A device wherein the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE is equal to the length of the PIE symbol interval, and the second symbol interval for the second value of PIE is set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval.

16. A step of receiving a signal for ambient IoT (Internet of Things) from a first device, based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol intervals within an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, by a second device; and By the second device, comprising a step of processing the signal, A method wherein the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE is equal to the length of the PIE symbol interval, and the second symbol interval for the second value of PIE is set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval.

17. One or more transceivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: Receive a signal for ambient IoT (Internet of Things) based on M pulse interval encoding (PIE) symbol sections within an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol; Set to process the above signal, A device wherein the length of the first symbol interval for the first value of PIE is equal to the length of the PIE symbol interval, and the second symbol interval for the second value of PIE is set to be longer than the PIE symbol interval.

18. One or more processors; and A processing device comprising one or more computer memories operatively connected to said one or more processors and storing instructions for performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 based on execution by said one or more processors.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more instructions that are executed by one or more processors to control the performance of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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